Folding playpen



agwww March 21, 1967 R. J. SARASIN FOLDING PLAYPEN Filed Oct. 5, 1965United States Patent Ofitice 3,309,718 Patented Mar. 21, 1967 3,309,713FOLDKNG PLAYPEN Raymond J. Sarasin, Fitchburg, Mass, assignor to Thayer,1112., Gardner, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Oct. 5, 1965,Ser. No. 493,136 1 Claim. (Cl. --8) This invention relates to a new andimproved folding play yard which includes a construction particularlyadapted to the use of flexible net side wailing and a folding floor, incombination with a special improved linkage for extending the playpen toa locked, open useful position and for quickly and easily folding thesame into a substantially flat condition for transportation or storage.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of afolding linkage as show and described in my Patent No. 3,206,773 datedSept. 21, 1965, but With the distinction that the center supporting leghas been done away with and this invention provides a much simpler andless expensive construction for supporting the floor of the playpen, incombination with the linkage as aforesaid, so that the easiest foldingand extendable play yard is provided at the least possible cost but atthe same time without sacrificing any sturdiness of members or ofsupporting action for the infant in the playpen.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating the invention inextended form:

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the same folded;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view;

FIG. 4 is a section On line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the floor members partly opened.

The playpen of the present invention includes a pair of U-shapedelements having freeended arms which are interpivoted at their ends toform a generally rectangular frame or enclosure. These elements areindicated at and 12 and the inwardly directed arms at 14 and 16. Thesearms are interconnected by being pivotally engaged with a bracket 18.This bracket construction is duplicated at the opposite side of the playyard.

A flexible net generally indicated at 29 is hung on the rectangularframe by any means desired as by a hem or the like at 22. A pair ofsupporting legs 24 and 26 are pivoted at their upper ends to the bracket18. These legs have a motion between their furthest extent as in FIG. 1to their folded position as in FIG. 2, and they also have aninter-engaged pivoting action as at 28 and 30 with respect to two floorparts 32 and 34 to support the same.

Pivotally connected with respect to each arm 14 and 16 there is a link36 and 38 and at the ends of these links the same are interpivoted withrespect to levers 40 and 42 at the ends thereof. Levers 40 and 42 areinterpivoted at 44 and intermediate the ends thereof they are pivoted asat 46 and 48 with respect to the legs 24 and 26 adjacent the upper endsthereof.

In order to avoid the use of a central supporting leg, the presentinvention contemplates a smaller floor part 34 and a larger floor part32 which have mating edges at 54 and 56 respectively and are mounted onunderlying supporting elements 58 and 66. These supporting elements 58and 69 are of unequal lengths and one end of the element 58 is securedas at 59 to a bracket 63 on the floor part 32 adjacent the pivot axis at28 thereof. Element 58 is pivoted as at 62 to the element 69, theopposite end of which is secured as at 64 to a bracket 65 adjacent thepivot axis of floor part 34. Thus the edges at 54 of each floor part 32overlaps elements 60, see FIG. 5, when the parts are aligned with edgesat 56.

The effect of this structure is that the edge portion of the floorportion 34 engages the edge of the member 32 when it comes down into theextended condition, and the floor is supported in horizontal conditionand cannot be moved dowwardly regardless of the weight of the infant inthe playpen at this point. On the other hand no interconnections orlatches are necessary and when the linkages 36, 49, etc. are broken,then the entire playpen is folded, because when the frame members 14 and16 are moved downwardly from the FIG. 1 to the FIG. 2 position, it isnecessary for the floor members 32 and 34 together with their underlyingsupports to move relatively upwardly into the FIG. 2 position likewise.A handhold can be utilized at the forward edge portion of the widerfloor member 32 in order to initiate the folding action of the floor ifthis should be found desirable or convenient.

A channel-shaped member 76 may be connected to the elements and to thefloor member 34, extending beyond the edge 56 as shown in FIG. 5 to alsosupport the longer floor member 32 its entire length.

An ear 72 mounted on the end of element 58 is adapted to engage theelement 60 to aid in stopping members 53 and 60 in the down position.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details thereof otherwise than set forth inthe claim, but what I claim is:

A folding playpen comprising a two part floor, said parts being ofunequal width and being hinged together at their inner edges adjacent acentral dividing line of the playpen, each part being hinged adjacentits outer edge to a part of the playpen adjacent the opposite edgesthereof, transversely supporting elements under and secured to eachplaypen floor part, said elements on one of said parts extending fromthe opposite edge portions thereof toward the corresponding elements onthe other part and being pivoted together at their inner ends, theelements under the lesser floor part extending therefrom at the inneredge thereof,

the inner edges of the floor parts coming together when aligned with theplaypen extended and leaving a gap when it is folded, the inner edge ofthe wider floor part resting on the extending portions of the elementssecured to the lesser part, and the floor parts being held in horizontalextended condition thereby,

a pair of supporting leg members at each side of the playpen, a pair ofU-shaped top members having free-ended arms, a pair of brackets, thearms being pivoted in pairs at their free ends to the brackets, the topmembers forming a rectangular open frame when coplanar, the uper ends ofthe leg members being pivoted in pairs to the brackets,

a generally tubular flexible net secured at one end to the frame formedby the two U-shaped top members, said net being limp and flexible whenthe top members are folded, said net at its other end being secured tothe outer edges of the two floor parts and being stretched taut betweenthe latter and the top members when the playpen is extended for use,

and a locking linkage interpivoted relative to each pair of leg membersand said U-shaped top members, each locking linkage comprising a firstpair of links each pivoted at one of its ends to an arm of acorresponding U-shaped top rail member intermediate the ends of sucharm, a second pair of links each one of which is pivoted intermediateits ends to a respective supporting leg member intermediate the ends ofthe latter, each of said second links being pivoted 3 4 to a respectivefirst link at corresponding ends theretoward each other to a conditiongenerally parallel of, said second links being interpivoted at theiropto said top members.

posite ends to each other between each pair of respec- References C'tedb t t1ve leg members and being otherwise freely movable y He Lx v Herand unrstricted 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS each said locking linkageforming a dead center latching 3,119,124 1/ 1964 Krauss 599 means forholding the U-shaped top members in eX- 3.205772 9/1965 Sarasin 5-99tended horizontal condition when the floor parts are 3,206,773 9/1965Sarasin 5-99 in extended horizontal condition, said U-shaped top3,233,254 2/1966 Golub et a1 5-99 members being foldable toward eachother to a posi- 10 T F tion at right angles to the extended conditionthereof, FRANL ShERRY Puma uxamum' and the leg members beingsimultaneously foldable R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner.

